1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to corn processing equipment and more particularly, to a corn silking apparatus which is designed to remove corn silk from individual ears of corn. The corn silking apparatus of this invention is characterized by a housing which contains a drive gear and a cooperating drive shaft, a driven or idler gear engaging the drive gear and carrying an idler shaft and a pair of brushes mounted on the drive shaft and the idler shaft, respectively. The brushes are designed to rotate in different directions by operation of the drive gear and idler gear in order to remove the silk from an ear of corn which is placed transversely across the top of the brushes or positioned between the brushes. In a first preferred embodiment of the invention the housing is characterized by an open housing which includes a removable front plate, a rear plate and an external electric motor for driving the internally located drive and idler gears. In a second preferred embodiment the housing is molded of a thermoplastic or thermoresin material such as polyethylene or polypropylene and the motor, drive gear and idler gear are located inside the housing.
Corn silk is normally removed from corn by scrubbing or washing, or a combination thereof, by utilizing scrubbing systems of various description. For household use, corn silk is normally removed from the kernels of corn by hand, using a knife or other sharp instrument. Mechanical washing and scrubbing systems are relatively inefficient in removing corn silk, since the stringy by-product has a tendency to embed itself tightly between the kernels of the corn and is very difficult to dislodge.
It has surprisingly been found that a pair of rotating brushes which operate in different directions and are spaced sufficiently far apart to receive an ear of corn therebetween are operable to remove silk from corn in a very efficient and rapid manner.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various types of vegetable and fruit scrubbers and cleaners are known in the art. U.S. Pat. No. 2,286,393, dated June 16, 1942, to J. Thomas, discloses a "Vegetable Cleaner", which uses a multiple brush system with a water spray to effect a thorough cleansing of vegetables without injuring the vegetables. U.S. Pat. No. 2,287,447, dated June 23, 1942, to R. Peeples, discloses a "Cleaning Means for Fruits, Vegetables, Etc.", which employs upper and lower groups of parallel spiral brushes, between which the fruit or vegetables pass along a path transversely of the longitudinal axis of the brushes. A driving mechanism is employed for driving the brushes and is organized and controlled such that certain of the brushes of the lower group which are all of the same diameter, are rotated at different speeds from those of other brushes of that group and at a different speed from the brushes of the upper group. Accordingly, the vegetables and fruit advance through te machine in steps, with intermittant movement so as to effect the turning and temporary retarding of the vegetables and fruit while the upper brushes are working thereon. A "Demountable Brushing Machine" is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,518,799, dated Aug. 15, 1950, to D. E. Leonard. The brushing machine of this invention is characterized by a light-weight, sturdy supporting framework formed of angle iron which supports the other parts of the machine. The machine is characterized by a water spray system with rotatable brushes for turning, tumbling and washing fruit or vegetables introduced into the machine. U.S. Pat. No. 3,114,162, dated Dec. 17, 1963, to T. Inoshita, discloses an "Onion Washing and Cleaning Machine". The machine includes a receiving belt and a pair of gripping belts provided in cooperation with the receiving belt, whereby onions are firmly held by the trunk or middle portion while they are conveyed through a washing and brushing apparatus in a manner such that all exposed surfaces are subjected to the washing and brushing action. The gripping belts are designed to tilt the onions from a horizontal position to a vertical position and move them through sprays and brush mechanisms and finally deliver the onions in uniform positions for placement in suitable containers. U.S. Pat. No. 3,199,134, dated Aug. 10, 1965, to J. A. Jones, discloses "brushes for cleaning citrus or other fruit produce prior to packaging thereof". The system incorporates a rotatable brush which includes an axial form carrying radially projecting bristles and shaped to define a circular, transverse cross-section of varying diameter along the length of the brush to shape smoothly formed, waisted portions at regular intervals. Alternatively, the brush can be manufactured with radially projecting bunches of bristles or with the bristles arranged along a helical path around the cylindrical support structure. Several brushes having this configuration are mounted in tandem in a frame and are designed to receive, rotate, brush and scrub fruit introduced therein.
It is an object of the invention is to provide a new and improved corn desilking apparatus which includes a pair of rotating brushes disposed in spaced relationship and designed to rotate in opposite directions for engaging ears of corn and removing the silk from the corn.
Another object of this invention to provide a new and improved apparatus for removing corn silk from ears of corn, which apparatus is characterized by a housing containing a drive gear and idler gear, with a drive shaft and idler shaft mounted in the drive gear and idler gear, respectively, and a pair of brushes secured to the drive shaft and idler shaft, the brushes being designed to rotate in the housing in opposite directions for removing the corn silk from the ears of corn.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved corn silk-removing apparatus which is characterized by an open housing having a removable front panel, with a drive gear and idler gear disposed in the housing in meshing relationship, a drive shaft carried by the drive gear and provided in driven association with an external electric motor and an idler shaft carried by the idler gear, the drive shaft and idler shaft being journalled for rotation in bushings provided in the removable front plate and in a corresponding rear plate, respectively. A pair of brushes are attached to the drive shaft and idler shaft and the brushes are caused to rotate in opposite directions responsive to operation of the electric motor, in order to contact ears of corn and remove silk from the corn.
A still further object of this invention is to provide a new and improved corn silking apparatus which includes a shaped housing containing a motor, a drive gear and an idler gear meshing with the drive gear; a drive shaft carried by the drive gear and an idler shaft carried by the idler gear, the drive shaft and idler shaft being journalled for rotation in the housing; and a pair of brushes attached to the drive shaft and the idler shaft in spaced relationship, respectively, where-in the brushes are caused to rotate in opposite directions by the motor and are designed to contact an ear of corn and remove silk from the corn responsive to the counter-rotation of the brushes.